Roofing



Jan. 22, 1929.

H. R. FRENCH ROOFING Fil'e d Jan. 20, 1925 W n W h Patented Jan. 22,1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY R. FRENCH, OF RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE 'FLINTKOTECOMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

ROOFING.

Application filed January 20, 1925.

This-invention relates to roofing, more particularly of the wide spacedtype where individual units are laid in overlapping courses, theadjacent units of each course being spaced a substantial distance apart,the spaces being bridged b the units of the next superposed course. Vihen rectangular shingles are laid up in this manner it requiresconsiderable skill and experience to correctly place the units toproduce the desired effect, there being nothing to indie-ate the properspacing or the places where securing nails should be driven.

According to this invention the units are i so formed that the correctspacing and positioning of the several units is readily accomplished,the improper positioning of the fastening nails avoided and wherebyeither one of two patterns, as herein shown a rectangular and ahexagonal pattern, is produced in the completed roof as may be desired.This choice of patterns is efiected by cutting opposite ends of theunits to different contours, which presents also the further advantagethat by cutting all the units facing in the same direction from the webof sheet material, all the units are positioned in the same direction ofthe sheet Whatever pattern is selected so that as laid the units presenta uniform color appearance, it being Well known that where units arelaid in different positions relative to the length of the web of roofingmaterial as formed on the roofing machine they resent different colorefiects when viewed rom a distance.

For a more complete understanding of this invention reference may be hadto the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 shows in plan a singleroofing unit shaped according to this invention.

Figure 2 illustrates a portion of a roof made u of these units, thetapered ends thereof being downwardly presented and bein exposed to theweather.

igure 3 is an edge View of the same.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2, except that the units arepositioned the other end up so as to present rectangular tabs to theweather.

Referring to these figures, it will be seen 50 that the shinglecomprises a piece of sheet material having one end formed substantiallyrectangular, as at 10, and the other end formed tapering as at 11. Therectangular portion is wider throughout than the widest 5 portion of thetapered portion, the two being Serial No. 3,578.

defined from each other by means of inwardly extending shoulders 12 oneach side, each of the shoulders being of materially less than one halfof the width of the end of the tapered port-iont The side edges 13 ot'the tapered portion are widest apart at the inner ends of the shoulderedges 12 and converge toward each other toward the edge 14. Therectangular portion is of the full width of the shingle unit between theedges 15.

Units of this description may be laid either end up. As shown in Figure2 they are laid with the narrow portions projecting downwardly, theunits of each course being spaced apart a distance such that the loweredge 14 of a superposed course bridges the space between and overliesthe shoulders 12 of ad.- jacent shingles of the course beneath. Thus thelower ends of the edges 13 of the superposed shingle'nieets the upperends of the.

adjacent edges 13 of the pair of underlying shingles so to definewiththe lower edges 14 of the several shingle units a hexagonal patternsuch as is shown in Figure 2. As the shoulders at 12 are overlaid byunits of a subsequent course they serve to indicate proper positions forsecuring nails to be driven since a nail driven just above each shoulderwill be covered by an element of the overlying course and yet will be asfar down toward the butt end of the shingle as possible without causingit to be exposed to the weather.

When each shingle is laid, therefore, it may be secured in position bynails positioned at the ints 20, as shown in Figure 2, passing throughthe upper shingle and the shingle unit overlaid thereby. The sh ulders12 also form guiding edges to determ ne the proper position for thelower edge}; of the superposed unit so that after a sin le row of shin-9 gles has been laid properly paced, the position of all the superposedshingles is clearly indicated as it also the position for driving nailstherethrough. Shingles thus made are therefore very easily laid in widespaced relation, there being no particular skill or experience requiredto insure their proper positioning on the roof, the shingles beingspaced the length of the edge 14 diminished by the combined length ofthe shoulders 12 whichever ends of the shingles are expqsed to theweather.

Similarly if it is desired to present the rectangular butts in themanner of the well known widespace shingle, this may be done face anarea ten feet square.

as shown in Figure 4:, the shoulders 12 of each shingle conforming tothe upper edges 14 of the units overlaid thereby, the units being spacedso that the ends of the edges 14 coinside with the inner edges of theshoulders 12 of the superposed units. The securing nails may then bedriven below the shoulders 12, as at 21, care being taken, however, toplace these nails sulliciently high so that they will be covered by theunits of the next overlying course.

These shingles may, if desired, be cut seventeen inches long, fourteeninches in great est width, ten inches in least width, and with theshoulders 12 each one inch in length, and positioned five inches fromthe narrow end. One hundred and thirty-one such shingles laid fiveinches to the weather, and represent-- ing approximately two hundred andseventeen square feet of roofing material will then be required for eachsquare, that is, to sur- There are at least two layers of roofingmaterial within any considerable distance of exposed edges so thatweather tightness is amply assured and with the use of a total area ofmaterial appiroximating twice that of the roof covere Having thusdisclosed an embodiment of this invention, it is evident that, manychanges and modifications might be made therein without departing fromits spirit or scope as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A roof comprising overlapping coursesof the narrow portion, adjacentelements of the same course being spaced apart a distance equal to thewidth of the end of said relatively narrow portion diminished by thecombined lengths of said shoulders.

2. A roof comprising overlapping courses of roofing elements, each ofsaid elements having a relatively narrow portion and a relatively wideportion defined from said narrow portion by laterally extendingshoulders, said shoulders each being substantially shorter than half thelength of the end edge of the narrow portion, adjacent elements of eachcourse being spaced apart and having their narrow end edges bridging thespace between adjacent elements of the next underlying course andregistering with adjacent shoulders thereof, and fastening elementspassed through said elements adjacent to said shoulders.

3. A roof comprising overlapping courses of roofing elements, each ofsaid elements being flat throughout its entire extent and having a lowerrelatively narrow portion and a downwardly tapered portion and an upperrelatively wide rectangular portion de ned from said lower portion bylaterally extending shoulders, said shoulders each being substantiallyshorter than half the length of the end edge of the narrow portion,adjacent elements of the same course being spaced apart a distance equalto the width of the lower end of said tapered portion diminished by thesum of the lengths of said shoulders, and each element. having its loweredge bridging the spacebetween adjacent elements of the next underlyingcourse and registering with. the adjacent shoulders thereof.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature. HENRY R. FRENCH.

